public land
Credit: James Marvin Phelps/Flickr
President Biden's conservation efforts face uncertainty as Trump eyes return
President Biden's ambitious plan to conserve 30% of US land and water by 2030 is making progress, but a potential Trump return threatens these gains.
In short:
- Biden aims to protect 30% of US lands and waters by 2030, with significant strides made since his inauguration.
- Trump's possible return could undo these efforts, as he plans to expand oil and gas drilling and reduce protected areas.
- The 30x30 initiative has influenced global conservation efforts, highlighting the importance of setting aside land to combat climate change and biodiversity loss.
Key quote:
“We would fight that agenda from Trump and his fossil fuel allies but I’d rather we not have to. The stakes for the election are high.”
— Dan Hartinger, senior director of policy advocacy at the Wilderness Society Action Fund
Why this matters:
Biden's actions not only advance national conservation goals but also set a precedent for global environmental efforts to combat climate change and protect biodiversity. However, these efforts risk being reversed if Trump is re-elected. Read more: Giving Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante the protection they deserve.
Keep reading...Show less
Photo by American Public Power Association on Unsplash
The US needs 22m acres for the solar energy transition – here’s what that looks like
If the US is to rid itself of fossil fuels then one of its primary replacements, solar energy, is going to need land. A lot of land.
Photo by American Public Power Association on Unsplash
How renewable energy sources like wind, solar farms could use less land
The renewable energy industry is causing land conflicts and faces local opposition. A new study offers ideas for how solar and wind farms could use less space.
Newsletter
Photo by Britta Preusse on Unsplash
Las Vegas is counting on public lands to power its growth. Is it a good idea?
As Nevada and other Western states look to spread out across more federal land, environmentalists and advocates of “smart growth” worry about sustainability, sprawl, water and climate change.
Oil showdown: 3 ways Interior may shape industry
Three oil and gas moves this week could reveal how President Joe Biden’s Interior Department plans to shape the federal fossil fuels program amid tense political fights over inflationary energy prices.
After winter drilling permit slump, BLM approvals back up
The Biden administration’s oil and natural gas drilling approvals on public lands rose this spring from a winter low point that alarmed the oil industry.
Photo by Matthew de Livera on Unsplash
As the US rushes after the minerals for the energy transition, a 150-year-old law allows mining companies free reign on public lands
On the vast expanse of public lands across the West, a rush for the minerals needed for the 21st century technologies of the energy transition depends on a 150-year-old law. Those lands’ survival of the clean energy mineral rush may depend on rewriting it.
ORIGINAL REPORTING
MOST POPULAR
CLIMATE
